European MKs accused Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Avi Dichter of being a "war-monger" and a "war-criminal" on Monday.
MK Dichter spoke to the Committee on Foreign Affairs about the murder of two Israelis in a terrorist shooting in the Barkan Industrial District on Sunday.
Portuguese European Parliament member Ana Gomes, a supporter of the anti-Israel BDS movement, said she was "disgusted" that Dichter had been invited to address the EU Parliament.
"As head of the Shin Bet, he masterminded the policy of targeted killings, in which many died in extrajudicial killings," Gomez said. "He also initiated the racist nation-state bill, which I think makes Palestinian citizens of Arab origin second class citizens.”
Gomez said that she was "trained to engage with the devil" as a diplomat, but that Dichter, whom she called a "a war-monger," was beyond the pale.
Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chairman Javier Couso Permuy of Spain "a war criminal who should be on trial."
"I don’t want to be in the same place with a war criminal, because I’m disgusted by him, so I will leave the room," he said.
Other MPs warmly welcomed MK Dichter.
British MEP Geoffrey Van Orden stated: “This is parliament of 753 members. I can assure Mr. Dichter that he has many friends in this parliament. He is very welcome. He is a man with a very distinguished record. He is a gallant man in fighting terrorism over many years.”
Ordan said that the “left [wing] colleagues here who are so obsessed with a particular agenda that they cannot see the realities of life in a very difficult part of the world.”
Dutch MEP Bas Belder apologized for the behavior of Erdan's critics. “I am sorry that my previous colleague spoke in such a way to you. I am ashamed on your behalf Ms. Gomes.”
MK Dichter said in response: "I have been fighting terrorism for 47 years. I saw all kinds of terrorism. We can not fight terrorism alone because it has no borders. Al Qaeda had no borders and Daesh (ISIS) did not know any. I am very proud of all my fights against terrorists and I regret every time we have failed to thwart attacks. We have never deliberately targeted innocent people."
Dichter also called on the EU to join the US and Israel in reducing funding to the Palestinian Authority as long as the PA continues to pay salaries to terrorists who murder Israelis.